British Rail Class 323
Encyclopedia
The British Rail
Class 323 electric multiple unit
s were built by Hunslet TPL from 1992-93. Forty-three 3-car units were built for inner-suburban services around Birmingham
and Manchester
. These trains were the last vehicles to be built by the struggling manufacturer Hunslet before it collapsed.
sector of British Rail placed an order for new EMUs to both replace older units and to work services on the newly electrified Birmingham
Cross-City Line. The contract was awarded to Hunslet Transportation Projects Limited of Birmingham, who were a new company set up by a team of engineers and managers that had left Metro Cammell. Metro Cammell were also at the time a Birmingham based renowned train builder. During the course of the project the company was acquired by Jenbacher transport system who supported the company in the hope of further orders for new trains but these units proved to be the last trains built by the company for the UK market. The trains were also some of the last constructed in the UK pre rail privatisation as Class 323 was in production just before the infamous 1,064 day gap in train orders. Hunslet TPL went on to deliver designs for Keretapi Tanah Melayu Class 81 EMU
which was built under the company's control and Glasgow Underground Trailers which were assembled by sister company Hunslet Barclay. Presently the company continues in Birmingham as Transys Projects Limited they remain active in the rail industry providing consultancy, refurbishment and enhancements to rail vehicles both in the UK and internationally.
During the early 2000s all Class 323 units were fitted with extra passenger door control panels in the saloon, the set of passenger doors below the pantograph (PTSO), this was to make it easier for Guards to carry out customer service and revenue duties. Until this point the only passenger door controls were in the driving cabs, therefore there was only one location on the train a Guard could operate the passenger doors.
In December 2007 the Class 323 Units operated by Northern received a coveted industry award the Modern Railways "Silver Spanner" because a team engineers maintaining Northern Rail's 17 Class 323 trains had increased the service's reliability by over 100%.
Forty-three 3-car units were built, numbered in the range 323201-243. Each unit is formed of two outer driving motor vehicles (each equipped with four Holec DMKT 52/24 asynchronous traction motors), and a central intermediate trailer with a Brecknell Willis High Speed pantograph for collecting the overhead current of 25kV ac
. The technical description of the unit formation is DMSO+PTSO+DMSO. Individual vehicles are numbered as follows:
In general, the last two digits of the vehicle number correspond to the last two digits of the set number, such that unit 323227 is formed of 64027+72227+65027. The last four PTSO vehicles are numbered in a separate range to avoid clashing with Class 365
vehicles.
When the electrification of the Leeds/Bradford - Skipton/Ilkley Airedale
/Wharfedale Line
s was confirmed in the early 1990s Regional Railways
and West Yorkshire PTE applied to the government for 14 units to add onto the 43 units already on order. At the time government spending on the railways was restricted due to the looming privatisation and eventually, when funding was not forthcoming, the order was cancelled and 21 second-hand 308
s from Network SouthEast
were used in the interim before the 333
s were delivered in 2000. The class 323's are known for making a distinctive sound every time they enter or leave a station.
The former Central Trains
inherited a fleet of 26 units from British Rail: sets 323201-222 and 323240-243. In November 2007, these were passed on to London Midland
.
The units were delivered in 1993/94 painted in Centro
green and white livery with a blue stripe. They were originally allocated to Bletchley
Depot, but have since been reallocated to Soho
when the elderly class 304's retired. Since the 323's moved there, a workshop has been built for maintenance and repairs.
It was intended for the units to be introduced on the newly electrified Cross-City Line from Redditch
to Lichfield
(via Birmingham New Street). However, all did not go according to plan, and initially the units suffered from reliability problems. This meant that the ageing fleets of Class 115
, 116
, 117
, 118
and 119
diesel multiple unit
s, which the Class 323 units were meant to replace, continued in service longer than planned. They were finally withdrawn in 1995 once the Class 323 units had become more reliable.
The units were also used on various other routes, including Coventry
to Wolverhampton
, and Birmingham to Walsall
(Chase Line
) suburban services, as well as longer distance Birmingham to Liverpool Lime Street
services. On these services, they were used alongside the existing fleets of Class 310/1
and Class 312
slam-door units. The introduction of the new trains also allowed the withdrawal of the elderly Class 304
units, and the cascading of Class 308
units to operate suburban services around Leeds
.
Since being introduced, the units have undergone works attention, which included the fitting of CCTV
surveillance equipment. The Centro
livery was also modified, with the addition of yellow doors to aid the visually impaired and the internal door controls replaced with DDA-compliant raised buttons with differing colours for open and closed.
During 2008 the London Midland fleet received London Midland livery. During this refurbishment the seats have been retrimmed with the new London Midland trim, new labels have been applied inside the carriages and handrails on the seats are now yellow.
323205 has been fitted with a new experimental, prototype interior saloon lighting diffuser, called 'BASIL' (short for Bright Ambient Sensing Interior Lighting) which is slimmer, more modern looking and makes the interior look brighter. The lights are actually LED and automatically light up brighter whenever the train is in a tunnel or at night. The system does this quicker than the human eye can blink, so passengers cannot notice the sudden change in brightness.
323201, 323202, 323203, 323209, 323211, 323212, 323215, 323216, 323217 and 323218 have all undergone a further internal refurbishment which has seen them receive new flooring, new harder seating (though keeping the London Midland trim), vestibule handrails painted yellow and luggage rack handrails & window frames painted dark grey. All units are also now receiving new external door controls.
in 1997 North Western Trains (NWT) inherited 17 of these units, North Western Trains became First North Western
and its operations were taken over by Northern Rail
in 2004.
They were used to replace older stock of Classes 304
and 305
, although some of the latter were retained in reserve until 2000. The units are used on services on the Manchester electrified network, which is primarily to the south of the city. Services include:
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The fleet is maintained on behalf of Northern Rail by West Coast Traincare Limited at its Manchester Traincare Centre Longsight
, which is a few miles south of Manchester Piccadilly with units stabled at Stockport Edgeley carriage sidings where they receive overnight cleaning.
The trains were originally painted in the Greater Manchester PTE livery. Two units, Nos. 323224 and 323233 were painted into NWT dark blue livery with gold stars. The franchise was later acquired by First Group and renamed First North Western
(FNW). In the period 2003-2004, the entire fleet was refurbished, which included a repaint into FNW blue and magenta "Barbie" livery.
In December 2004, the Arriva Trains Northern
and First North Western
franchises were combined into a new Northern Rail
franchise. Northern Rail
is operated by Serco-Ned Railways (A joint partnership between UK company Serco Group and Ned Railways). The Class 323 units retained FNW blue livery, awaiting Northern Rail
to finalise their corporate image.
In June 2007, the Northern Class 323s began a refurbishment programme that included the introduction of over 20 reliability improvement modifications, replacement of cab desk panels and new LED
lighting for the front of the trains. No. 323239 was the first unit to receive this upgrade and was released back into passenger traffic on 18 August 2007.
On 6 January 2008, No. 323223 was repainted in Northern livery - the first Class 323 in the Northern fleet to be branded. This unit returned into service on 15 February 2008 in full livery. As of April 2010, all of Northern's units have been re-branded in the Northern livery, with the exception of units 323226/227/231.
On 7 March 2011 a C4+C6 overhaul on the fleet commence at the fleets "home" Depot - Manchester Traincare Centre. The overhaul includes attention to underframe equipment - including Brake equipment and Bogies - passenger doors, couplers, roof equipment as well as an internal refresh which includes the replacement of the saloon floor boards and floor covering.
323231 spent 16 months out of service after derailing at Congleton on 18 December 2008, after hitting a car which had rolled down Mow Cop onto the track close to the crossing below. It suffered a lot of underbody damage as well as losing its pantograph. The unit was repaired at Wolverton, and returned to Manchester on 14 April 2010. It is expected to return to service as soon as testing is completed. The return to service of 323231 has seen the trains between Manchester Piccadilly and Alderley Edge revert to EMU operation.
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Class 323 electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s were built by Hunslet TPL from 1992-93. Forty-three 3-car units were built for inner-suburban services around Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. These trains were the last vehicles to be built by the struggling manufacturer Hunslet before it collapsed.
Description
In the early 1990s the Regional RailwaysRegional Railways
Regional Railways was one of the three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982 that existed until 1996, 3 years after privatisation. The sector was originally called Provincial....
sector of British Rail placed an order for new EMUs to both replace older units and to work services on the newly electrified Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
Cross-City Line. The contract was awarded to Hunslet Transportation Projects Limited of Birmingham, who were a new company set up by a team of engineers and managers that had left Metro Cammell. Metro Cammell were also at the time a Birmingham based renowned train builder. During the course of the project the company was acquired by Jenbacher transport system who supported the company in the hope of further orders for new trains but these units proved to be the last trains built by the company for the UK market. The trains were also some of the last constructed in the UK pre rail privatisation as Class 323 was in production just before the infamous 1,064 day gap in train orders. Hunslet TPL went on to deliver designs for Keretapi Tanah Melayu Class 81 EMU
KTM Class 81
The Class 81 is the first type of electric multiple unit introduced by Keretapi Tanah Melayu on its KTM Komuter services. 18 sets were built by Jenbacher Transport in 3-car formations....
which was built under the company's control and Glasgow Underground Trailers which were assembled by sister company Hunslet Barclay. Presently the company continues in Birmingham as Transys Projects Limited they remain active in the rail industry providing consultancy, refurbishment and enhancements to rail vehicles both in the UK and internationally.
During the early 2000s all Class 323 units were fitted with extra passenger door control panels in the saloon, the set of passenger doors below the pantograph (PTSO), this was to make it easier for Guards to carry out customer service and revenue duties. Until this point the only passenger door controls were in the driving cabs, therefore there was only one location on the train a Guard could operate the passenger doors.
In December 2007 the Class 323 Units operated by Northern received a coveted industry award the Modern Railways "Silver Spanner" because a team engineers maintaining Northern Rail's 17 Class 323 trains had increased the service's reliability by over 100%.
Forty-three 3-car units were built, numbered in the range 323201-243. Each unit is formed of two outer driving motor vehicles (each equipped with four Holec DMKT 52/24 asynchronous traction motors), and a central intermediate trailer with a Brecknell Willis High Speed pantograph for collecting the overhead current of 25kV ac
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
. The technical description of the unit formation is DMSO+PTSO+DMSO. Individual vehicles are numbered as follows:
- 64001-64043 - DMSO
- 72201-72239 and 72340-72343 - PTSO
- 65001-65043 - DMSO
In general, the last two digits of the vehicle number correspond to the last two digits of the set number, such that unit 323227 is formed of 64027+72227+65027. The last four PTSO vehicles are numbered in a separate range to avoid clashing with Class 365
British Rail Class 365
The British Rail Class 365 "Networker Express" are dual-voltage 25 kV AC and 750 V DC) electric multiple units built by ABB at York from 1994 to 1995. These were the last units to be built at the York factory before it closed...
vehicles.
When the electrification of the Leeds/Bradford - Skipton/Ilkley Airedale
Airedale Line
The Airedale Line is the name given to one of the rail services in the Metro area of northern England. The service is operated by Northern Rail, on the route connecting Leeds and Bradford with Skipton in the North of England. Some services along the line continue to Morecambe or Carlisle...
/Wharfedale Line
Wharfedale Line
The Wharfedale Line is the name given to one of the rail services in the West Yorkshire Metro area of northern England. The service connects Ilkley with Leeds and Bradford, and is operated by Northern Rail. West Yorkshire Metrocards are available for use on the line, covering Zones 3 - 5...
s was confirmed in the early 1990s Regional Railways
Regional Railways
Regional Railways was one of the three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982 that existed until 1996, 3 years after privatisation. The sector was originally called Provincial....
and West Yorkshire PTE applied to the government for 14 units to add onto the 43 units already on order. At the time government spending on the railways was restricted due to the looming privatisation and eventually, when funding was not forthcoming, the order was cancelled and 21 second-hand 308
British Rail Class 308
The British Rail Class 308 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BR at York, in three batches, from 1959–61. They were initially classified as AM8 units before the introduction of TOPS.-Class 308/1:...
s from Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
were used in the interim before the 333
British Rail Class 333
The British Rail Class 333 electric multiple units were built by Siemens and CAF are based on the Class 332 trains operated by Heathrow Express.-Description:...
s were delivered in 2000. The class 323's are known for making a distinctive sound every time they enter or leave a station.
London Midland
Central Trains
Central Trains was one of the original 25 train operating companies to emerge from the break-up of British Rail between 1994 and 1997. The company operated local, urban and secondary express services across central England and Mid Wales.-Overview:...
inherited a fleet of 26 units from British Rail: sets 323201-222 and 323240-243. In November 2007, these were passed on to London Midland
London Midland
London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
.
The units were delivered in 1993/94 painted in Centro
West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive
The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive , sometimes known as Centro, is a local government organisation responsible for certain transport services in the West Midlands county in England....
green and white livery with a blue stripe. They were originally allocated to Bletchley
Bletchley, Milton Keynes
Bletchley is a constituent town of Milton Keynes, England. It is part of the Borough of Milton Keynes unitary authority, in the ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire. It is situated in the south-west of Milton Keynes but still retains a distinctive identity...
Depot, but have since been reallocated to Soho
Soho, Birmingham
Soho is an area in north west Birmingham, approximately 2 miles from the City Centre on the A41, which until 1911 formed part of Handsworth District. Soho is also a ward within the council constituency of Ladywood...
when the elderly class 304's retired. Since the 323's moved there, a workshop has been built for maintenance and repairs.
It was intended for the units to be introduced on the newly electrified Cross-City Line from Redditch
Redditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
to Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
(via Birmingham New Street). However, all did not go according to plan, and initially the units suffered from reliability problems. This meant that the ageing fleets of Class 115
British Rail Class 115
The British Rail Class 115 diesel multiple units were 41 high density sets which operated the outer-suburban services from Marylebone usually to destinations such as High Wycombe, Aylesbury and Banbury which are on the Chiltern Main Line and Great Central Main Line...
, 116
British Rail Class 116
The British Rail Class 116 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1957 to 1961.-Regular use:These units stayed in regular service until 1990, when they began to be withdrawn from traffic. They were replaced on regional services by the new "Sprinter" derivative units, or by Class 323...
, 117
British Rail Class 117
The British Rail Class 117 diesel multiple units were built by Pressed Steel from 1959 to 1961.When first introduced, these three-car units were all based with the similar Class 121 single carriage units on British Railway's Western Region for suburban work out of London Paddington, as well as...
, 118
British Rail Class 118
The British Rail Class 118 diesel multiple units were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company and introduced from 1960....
and 119
British Rail Class 119
The British Rail Class 119 DMUs were used throughout the Western Region and on services in the Midlands sourced by Tyseley Depot. Shortly after their introduction, sets were transferred from Cardiff to serve the intermediate stations on outer suburban services from London Paddington to Oxford...
diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s, which the Class 323 units were meant to replace, continued in service longer than planned. They were finally withdrawn in 1995 once the Class 323 units had become more reliable.
The units were also used on various other routes, including Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
to Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, and Birmingham to Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
(Chase Line
Chase Line
The Chase Line is the railway line from Birmingham New Street to Walsall and Rugeley.-Overview:The line from Birmingham to Walsall has two alternative routes, both of which are electrified at 25 kV AC overhead...
) suburban services, as well as longer distance Birmingham to Liverpool Lime Street
Liverpool Lime Street railway station
Liverpool Lime Street is a railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England. The station lies on a branch of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston, and on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network...
services. On these services, they were used alongside the existing fleets of Class 310/1
British Rail Class 310
The British Rail Class 310 is a slam-door, alternating current electric multiple unit introduced in 1963 as part of the West Coast Main Line electrification project. They were initially classified as Class AM10 units before the introduction of the TOPS classification system. Constructed at BR's...
and Class 312
British Rail Class 312
The British Rail Class 312 is a type of alternating current electric multiple unit built in 1975-1978 for use on outer-suburban passenger services. It was the last class of multiple unit to be constructed with the British Rail Mark 2 bodyshell, and also the last with slam doors...
slam-door units. The introduction of the new trains also allowed the withdrawal of the elderly Class 304
British Rail Class 304
The British Rail Class 304 electric multiple units were built for suburban use on the first phases of the West Coast Main Line electrification between Crewe and Manchester/Liverpool/Rugby. Originally classed as AM4 units, they later became Class 304 under the TOPS numbering system, and could be...
units, and the cascading of Class 308
British Rail Class 308
The British Rail Class 308 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BR at York, in three batches, from 1959–61. They were initially classified as AM8 units before the introduction of TOPS.-Class 308/1:...
units to operate suburban services around Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
.
Since being introduced, the units have undergone works attention, which included the fitting of CCTV
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
surveillance equipment. The Centro
West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive
The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive , sometimes known as Centro, is a local government organisation responsible for certain transport services in the West Midlands county in England....
livery was also modified, with the addition of yellow doors to aid the visually impaired and the internal door controls replaced with DDA-compliant raised buttons with differing colours for open and closed.
During 2008 the London Midland fleet received London Midland livery. During this refurbishment the seats have been retrimmed with the new London Midland trim, new labels have been applied inside the carriages and handrails on the seats are now yellow.
323205 has been fitted with a new experimental, prototype interior saloon lighting diffuser, called 'BASIL' (short for Bright Ambient Sensing Interior Lighting) which is slimmer, more modern looking and makes the interior look brighter. The lights are actually LED and automatically light up brighter whenever the train is in a tunnel or at night. The system does this quicker than the human eye can blink, so passengers cannot notice the sudden change in brightness.
323201, 323202, 323203, 323209, 323211, 323212, 323215, 323216, 323217 and 323218 have all undergone a further internal refurbishment which has seen them receive new flooring, new harder seating (though keeping the London Midland trim), vestibule handrails painted yellow and luggage rack handrails & window frames painted dark grey. All units are also now receiving new external door controls.
Northern Rail
At the time of the privatisation of British RailPrivatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
in 1997 North Western Trains (NWT) inherited 17 of these units, North Western Trains became First North Western
First North Western
First North Western was a train operating company in the United Kingdom serving North West England. It operated from 1997 to 2004.The company when first privatised was known as North Western Trains and was owned by Great Western Holdings, a partnership between Great Western's management, First...
and its operations were taken over by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
in 2004.
They were used to replace older stock of Classes 304
British Rail Class 304
The British Rail Class 304 electric multiple units were built for suburban use on the first phases of the West Coast Main Line electrification between Crewe and Manchester/Liverpool/Rugby. Originally classed as AM4 units, they later became Class 304 under the TOPS numbering system, and could be...
and 305
British Rail Class 305
The British Rail Class 305 was an alternating current electric multiple unit . Under the pre-1973 British Rail numbering system, the class was known as AM5...
, although some of the latter were retained in reserve until 2000. The units are used on services on the Manchester electrified network, which is primarily to the south of the city. Services include:
| Route | Usage | Notes/Other Units Used |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester Piccadilly Manchester Piccadilly station Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England... to Glossop Glossop railway station Glossop railway station serves the town of Glossop in Derbyshire, England and is the third busiest railway station in the county of Derbyshire after Derby and Chesterfield, with an estimated 700,000 people using the station in 2009/10.... /Hadfield Hadfield railway station Hadfield railway station serves the village of Hadfield in Derbyshire, England. The station is one of the twin termini at the Derbyshire end of the Manchester-Glossop Line, the other being Glossop. It was opened by the Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway in 1844.The line formerly... |
Monday to Sunday | None |
| Manchester Piccadilly Manchester Piccadilly station Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England... to Alderley Edge Alderley Edge railway station Alderley Edge railway station serves the large village of Alderley Edge in Cheshire, England. The station is 22 km south of Manchester Piccadilly on the Crewe to Manchester Line .-History:... |
Monday to Sunday | Some Weekday Peak Journeys via Manchester Airport No Monday - Saturday Evening service except for the SO 2338 Manchester Piccadilly - Alderley Edge Sunday Service routed at alternate hours via Manchester Airport and Stockport |
| Manchester Oxford Road to Wilmslow Wilmslow railway station Wilmslow railway station serves the large town of Wilmslow, in the borough of Macclesfield and the county of Cheshire, England. The station is south of Manchester Piccadilly on the Crewe to Manchester Line.... |
Monday to Saturday | Evenings only via Manchester Airport |
| Manchester Piccadilly Manchester Piccadilly station Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England... to Crewe Crewe railway station Crewe railway station was completed in 1837 and is one of the most historic railway stations in the world. Built in fields near to Crewe Hall, it originally served the village of Crewe with a population of just 70 residents... via Stockport Stockport railway station Stockport railway station is in Greater Manchester, England, 8 miles south-east of Manchester Piccadilly station on the West Coast Main Line from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston. It was opened on 15 February 1843 by the Manchester and Birmingham Railway, following completion of the large... |
Monday to Sunday | Hourly Service Monday - Saturday, with additional peak services. The 07.22 Monday to Friday Crewe-Manchester service is formed of 2 × Class 142 units. 2 Hourly Service on Sundays. |
| Manchester Piccadilly Manchester Piccadilly station Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England... to Crewe Crewe railway station Crewe railway station was completed in 1837 and is one of the most historic railway stations in the world. Built in fields near to Crewe Hall, it originally served the village of Crewe with a population of just 70 residents... via Manchester Airport Manchester Airport railway station Manchester Airport railway station is the railway station that serves Manchester Airport and is built into the airport's terminal buildings. The station was opened together with the second airport terminal in 1993.- Description:... |
Monday to Saturday | No Evening or Sunday Service |
| Manchester Piccadilly Manchester Piccadilly station Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England... to Manchester Airport Manchester Airport railway station Manchester Airport railway station is the railway station that serves Manchester Airport and is built into the airport's terminal buildings. The station was opened together with the second airport terminal in 1993.- Description:... |
Monday to Sunday | Hourly Service |
| Manchester Piccadilly Manchester Piccadilly station Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England... to Hazel Grove Hazel Grove railway station Hazel Grove railway station is on the Stockport to Buxton / Sheffield line, serving the village of Hazel Grove, Greater Manchester, England. It was built for the Stockport, Disley and Whaley Bridge Railway by the London and North Western Railway and opened on 9 June 1857... |
Monday to Saturday | 1922 Manchester Piccadilly - Hazel Grove is the only booked Class 323 operated service. |
| Manchester Piccadilly Manchester Piccadilly station Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England... to Stoke on Trent Stoke-on-Trent railway station Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station is a main-line railway station in central England. It is located on the Stafford to Manchester branch of the West Coast Main Line and serves the Staffordshire city of Stoke-on-Trent... |
Monday to Sunday | Limited Sunday Service 2 × Class 142 DMU trains booked to operate the 07.15 SX Macclesfield - Manchester Piccadilly service |
| Manchester Piccadilly Manchester Piccadilly station Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England... to Manchester United Football Ground |
Matchdays only | Mixture of 3 or 6 car services |
Longsight
Longsight is an area of Manchester, England, about south of the city centre. Its population is about 16,000.-History:Longsight has been known over the past for its gang related violence, similar to that of nearby Moss Side. Most of the violence came from tensions between 2 gangs; The Longsight...
, which is a few miles south of Manchester Piccadilly with units stabled at Stockport Edgeley carriage sidings where they receive overnight cleaning.
The trains were originally painted in the Greater Manchester PTE livery. Two units, Nos. 323224 and 323233 were painted into NWT dark blue livery with gold stars. The franchise was later acquired by First Group and renamed First North Western
First North Western
First North Western was a train operating company in the United Kingdom serving North West England. It operated from 1997 to 2004.The company when first privatised was known as North Western Trains and was owned by Great Western Holdings, a partnership between Great Western's management, First...
(FNW). In the period 2003-2004, the entire fleet was refurbished, which included a repaint into FNW blue and magenta "Barbie" livery.
In December 2004, the Arriva Trains Northern
Arriva Trains Northern
Arriva Trains Northern was a train operating company that operated passenger trains in Yorkshire and the North East of England. The company had previously been known as Northern Spirit before being taken over by Arriva....
and First North Western
First North Western
First North Western was a train operating company in the United Kingdom serving North West England. It operated from 1997 to 2004.The company when first privatised was known as North Western Trains and was owned by Great Western Holdings, a partnership between Great Western's management, First...
franchises were combined into a new Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
franchise. Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
is operated by Serco-Ned Railways (A joint partnership between UK company Serco Group and Ned Railways). The Class 323 units retained FNW blue livery, awaiting Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
to finalise their corporate image.
In June 2007, the Northern Class 323s began a refurbishment programme that included the introduction of over 20 reliability improvement modifications, replacement of cab desk panels and new LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
lighting for the front of the trains. No. 323239 was the first unit to receive this upgrade and was released back into passenger traffic on 18 August 2007.
On 6 January 2008, No. 323223 was repainted in Northern livery - the first Class 323 in the Northern fleet to be branded. This unit returned into service on 15 February 2008 in full livery. As of April 2010, all of Northern's units have been re-branded in the Northern livery, with the exception of units 323226/227/231.
On 7 March 2011 a C4+C6 overhaul on the fleet commence at the fleets "home" Depot - Manchester Traincare Centre. The overhaul includes attention to underframe equipment - including Brake equipment and Bogies - passenger doors, couplers, roof equipment as well as an internal refresh which includes the replacement of the saloon floor boards and floor covering.
Damage to Northern Rail Units
323235 spent 6 months out of action after derailing at Alderley Edge. This occurred on 13 September 2008 when shortly after operating the 23:31 Deansgate to Alderley Edge service 323235 had run ECS into the up siding and was returning to Stockport for overnight stabling. It was at this point that the driver passed a signal at danger which resulted in the train derailed on the points, causing wheel damage to one of the bogies and damaging the traction motor. The unit was travelling at about 10 mph (4 m/s) when the incident occurred. During the time it was out of service receiving repairs, it was also put through the fleet modification program and was repainted in Northern Rail livery. It re-entered service on Saturday 24 January.323231 spent 16 months out of service after derailing at Congleton on 18 December 2008, after hitting a car which had rolled down Mow Cop onto the track close to the crossing below. It suffered a lot of underbody damage as well as losing its pantograph. The unit was repaired at Wolverton, and returned to Manchester on 14 April 2010. It is expected to return to service as soon as testing is completed. The return to service of 323231 has seen the trains between Manchester Piccadilly and Alderley Edge revert to EMU operation.
Fleet details
| Class | Operator | No. Built | Year Built | Cars per Set | Unit nos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 323 | London Midland | 43 | 1992–1993 | 3 | 323201 - 323222 323240 - 323243 |
| Northern Rail | 323223 - 323239 |
Class 323 in the media
- Victoria Wood is shown on board an unknown Northern Class 323 for her Great Railways Journey for the BBC.
- Michael Portillo catches various unknown London Midland Class 323's during Episode 18 of his Great Railway Journeys series (from Walsall to Bournville), even though the overhead shots show a Class 170/Class 153 combination!
- Northern Rail Class 323 323234 is erroneously shown on the cover of Priya BasilPriya BasilPriya Basil is a British author.Her first novel, Ishq and Mushq, was published in 2007. Ishq and Mushq is a family saga which illuminates the problem of cultural identity for immigrants over several generations, and raises questions of memory, exile and self-rediscovery...
's book Strangers on the 16:02, the station shown is Worcester Shrub Hill which is not electrified - and the book is set in London in any case - neither of which are areas the Class 323s operate! - Julia Bradbury passes an unknown London Midland Class 323 during Episode 2 of her canal walks (The Worcester and Birmingham Canal), again at Bournville.